Extra Credit
by Patricia de Lioncourt
Summary: Hermione's new job at the Ministry required her to do a little case study, but she had no idea that it would turn out like it did.
1. Extra Credit

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or Harry Potter. Buffy and related characters belong to Whedon. Harry Potter and related characters belong to JK Rowling.

Originally for TwistedShorts August Fic-a-Day Challenge (Day 06)

A/N: This is somewhat AU concerning the epilogue of Deathly Hallows. And this is set, for Angel, sometime after Spike became corporeal again, but before the end.

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**Extra Credit**

"I don't think this would be considered very academic," Spike smirked, leaving a trail of kisses along her neck.

Hermione Granger—newest recruit to the Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures—was almost done with the studies necessary for her job. All that had been left was a month-long stint in wherever the Ministry assigned her, studying whatever they assigned her to study. Or whomever, as the case may be.

Ron had wanted to follow along, since he was her fiancé and "practically married to her," but she had put her foot down. She was a grown woman, fully capable of spending a month on her own. And Ron was needed back home to help with the joke shop. It took a good bit of heavy conversation—re: arguing—but she finally convinced him.

So she got assigned to the States, to Los Angeles particularly, to study the vampire William the Bloody—more popularly known in the history books as Spike. Hermione was supposed to stay in the background, to study him from afar. But Spike was a special case, in more ways than one. He had a soul, and he was more than able to spot someone tailing him. She had tried to pose as an employee of the muggle—and she applied that term loosely—law firm, Wolfram and Hart, that he had been last seen hanging about.

She had been there a week before she had been found out. And considering the circumstances—since she really meant him no harm—she had come clean.

"My name is Hermione Granger. I'm a witch, and I'm here to study you as the last part of the training necessary to enter my Ministry's Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. I'm here to look, not touch, so to speak. So, if it's quite all right, I would just like to follow you about, just until my case study is concluded."

He'd raised a brow at that, not certain whether to believe her or not. She liked to think that it helped her case that they were both from "across the pond." But he had submitted her before his comrades, had her tested—which had meant singing for a delightful, green-skinned demon—and had been declared as telling the truth. It annoyed him and flattered him, the idea of a woman following him about just scribbling notes. And he had muttered more than once something about a "bloody Watcher's Council," but Hermione had assured him that it would all be better for her and her study if he would just act as if she wasn't there. He had a hard time doing that.

And when the time came to study his personal life, the one the history books _hadn't_ recorded, that was when it all went downhill. And it was how she ended up in her current, ahem, position.

Spike's teeth grazed the top of her breasts, moments before his tongue snaked out to taste her. She shuddered pleasurably.

"I shouldn't be doing this," she said, trying to sit up.

He had sneaked her inside one of the unused offices. The tension had been building for the past couple of weeks, despite her own denial. Little flirtations that she claimed to herself were "innocent," the sharing of secrets that she had not even told Ron… and finally, they had kissed. She should have stopped it there, should have stopped it before it started. But she had fallen victim to his charms and had allowed him to lead her by the hand as they ducked inside the office. He had had her out of her clothes in record time.

"I'm engaged," she said, blushing.

Spike sat up beside her, shaking his head.

"You never said…"

"I know. I know! I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "Our wedding is in a few months and… I don't know. I guess I was just getting cold feet."

He didn't say anything. He simply waited, watching her patiently. She took a shuddering breath, willing herself not to cry. He placed an arm around her, nothing but comfort in the move.

"I'm sorry. This isn't fair to you."

He shrugged, a half smile on his face. "I'm used to this."

That didn't help the way she felt. She turned to stare at him, to search his eyes, his face, for some measure of forgiveness. She really shouldn't have done that. Her searching stare lasted only a second before her lips were on his.

"You said you that you were in love with a slayer, that you had slept with her and several other human women, right?" she asked, pulling away hastily.

He nodded. She nodded once, decisive.

"Then I have to study why," she said, leaning in.

He stopped her, shaking his head.

"We don't have to do this."

"It's academic. Like… like extra credit."

"But your fiancé…"

She shrugged. "I can't talk about work with him, anyhow. It's against the rules."

They sat a moment longer. Finally, he shook his head.

"Whatever the lady wants."

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End Notes: Okay, so maybe a little OOC for Hermione, but I did a follow up that should clear the air a little. If you want to read the follow up, just add this little pretty to your story alerts as I just plan to add it on as a second chapter. I hope you liked it. Please review!


	2. Pass or Fail

Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy or Harry Potter. Buffy and related characters belong to Whedon. Harry Potter and related characters belong to JK Rowling.

Originally for TwistedShorts August Fic-a-Day Challenge (Day 23)

A/N: This is set post-book 7 of Harry Potter, and sometime after the end of season 5 of Angel. And, of course, it's set after "Extra Credit." I disregard the comics from both Buffy and Angel in this, save for an idea snagged from the Buffy one. I hope you enjoy!

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**Pass or Fail**

He had told her to go. He'd destroyed enough girls' lives in his time, and he wasn't ready to add one more. The going had gotten tough at Wolfram & Hart, and Spike had told Hermione to hightail it back to her fiancé. She'd tried to fight him, tried to confess that she'd fallen in love with him. But Spike had heard that before from another pretty girl. He knew a lie—well-meaning or not—when he heard one. But nobody handles rejection well, and they ended it on a fight. Nothing good really followed in Spike's life, since the Senior Partners had decided soon after to unleashed Hell on LA. Of course, that was just because Captain Forehead had decided to poke them in the sore spot one time too many. But he didn't mind. He was a fighter, born to brawl to the end.

So, months after several died and the world didn't end, Spike was more than surprised to receive an invitation by owl to the wedding of Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. He was downright flabbergasted.

He wasn't going to go. Of course he wasn't. But then… he did.

To be honest, he tended to avoid wedding ceremonies as much as possible with only a few exceptions. Probably because they were mostly held in the daytime. However, Hermione had hers scheduled to begin promptly at seven in the evening… in the fall. Spike hopped the Pond and found himself outside the room the blushing bride-to-be was getting ready in at precisely six. He lifted his pale fist and knocked, twice.

She was already in her dress. It was white—Spike fought down a grin at that one. Its skirt was huge and ruffled with a tight-fitting bodice. She looked like something out of a fairytale, some rescued princess. Her hair was pulled high, her veil sheer and covering. She blinked, surprised. And, after a moment, she threw her arms about Spike's shoulders.

"You came," she murmured into his shoulder.

He felt a little too out in the open, so he gently pushed her inside of the room, shutting the door behind him. She was on her toes, her lips pressed onto his. Before it could even occur to him to push her back, she broke off, eyes wide.

"We have to go. Now. I'm getting married in an hour!" she said, whirling in flurry of white.

"We're not going anywhere, pet," he said, stopping her from shoving the contents of the vanity in front of her into a bag.

"What?"

Spike shook his head. "You still haven't figured it out. Not at all?"

He sat her down on the small stool behind her, kneeling so that they could look each other right in the eye.

"If you didn't come to leave with me… then why…?" Hermione asked, shaking her head.

"I came because I needed a dose of happy, to be honest. I've seen some gruesome stuff in my day—_did_ some gruesome stuff—but nothing like what happened in LA after you left. I did a lot of heavy thinking during all that… the heaviest I've done in a long while."

"And?" Hermione asked, trying her best not to sound too hopeful.

Spike grinned. "And I remembered how you left."

Hermione blinked. "But I _tried_ to stay. You _made_ me leave!"

He nodded. "I did. But I didn't stop you from coming back."

She sat back, leaning heavily on the vanity. It looked as if someone had sucked all the air out of her.

"I—" she began, only to cut herself off.

"You don't have to feel bad. That's not why I'm here," Spike explained. "My point isn't that you left _me_ so much as you stayed with _him_. Now, I figured, since I got the invite, that you might still be feeling those cold feet of yours. So I came to do a good thing. Ask yourself, Hermione… how did you feel, being here, whenever you were alone with your husband-to-be?"

She didn't answer immediately. Her eyes were searching the air above him, unfocused and lost in her own thoughts. Then, slowly, a single tear feel as a small smile lit her face. Spike nodded.

"That's what I thought. Go get married, Hermione. You deserve to be happy."

He stood, ready to leave, when her hand caught his coat, stopping him.

"So do you," she said softly.

He laughed. "Maybe. I wish you a happy life, luv. I think I'll be leaving before the festivities begin, you understand."

She nodded, and he left the room. He shut the door behind him for the second time that evening and turned, surprised to see a man in a very nice tuxedo with the brightest red hair he'd seen on someone since he last saw Willow. Spike had never seen a picture of Hermione's fiancé, but he knew that this man was exactly that.

"You've got a good girl there," the vampire said, causing Ron to jump, surprised.

"I know. Who are you?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

"An old friend who can't stay," Spike said, clapping the groom on the shoulder as he passed.

Ron didn't say anything else, and neither did Spike. Lighting a cigarette as soon as he was clear of the wedding venue, Spike shook his head. It was off to Scotland now, to deal with another pretty girl.

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End Notes: And that was the end of this one. This of effectively removes the AU of the other one, but I still had to include that in the author's note so not to rouse suspicion. And this also concludes this little one-shot pairing. Hope you enjoyed!

BTW: If you're interested in a Hermione/Spike story that might lead to an actual pairing between the two of them, I recommend Slinky-And-The-BloodyWands story "Book Girl."


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